A scoreless outing from the offense led the Stony Brook men’s soccer team to a disappointing opening day loss.
The Seawolves (0-1) opened up their 2022 season on Thursday, taking on the rival LIU Sharks in Brookville, N.Y. They were unable to find the back of the net in their match, dropping the game 1-0.
An early penalty kick was the difference in the Seawolves’ defeat, as their offense was unable to muster up a comeback against the LIU defense. In the 17th minute, defender Rondell Payne fouled LIU midfielder Matthias Heiland in the box, sending Heiland to the line to attempt a penalty kick. Heiland converted on the opportunity, sending it past goalkeeper Edmond Kaiser and into the net to give LIU the lead.
Stony Brook attempted to rally late, with most of its shots coming in the second half, but goalkeeper Sergio Peralta shut the door on them. Between the 59th and 65th minutes, Stony Brook had three straight shots on goal, all of which were saved by Peralta. He racked up four saves en route to securing a clean sheet versus Stony Brook.
The Stony Brook offense had a rough day overall, as it only managed seven total shot attempts throughout the game. The defense held its own, conceding 14 shot attempts with only six being on goal. Kaiser had a good day in net despite the penalty kick he surrendered, as he saved five of the six LIU shots on goal.
There were six new faces who took the field for the first time as Seawolves on Thursday. Among the six new players, midfielder Amit Magoz was the only debuting player who was in the starting lineup. He registered a shot on goal in his first game with the club, while five freshmen got minutes off the bench.
Looking ahead, the team’s next game will be its home opener against the Saint Peter’s Peacocks. Saint Peter’s opened up its 2022 season with a 2-2 tie against Virginia Military Institute on Thursday. The game is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 29 at 6 p.m. at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium. Stony Brook will try to defend its home field and even up their record with its first win of the year.
